


Tangent

by caterplina



Series: Team Pilot (Round 25 September 2017 - 21 January 2018) [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 10:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12252915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterplina/pseuds/caterplina
Summary: One chair at a time.





	Tangent

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna skip. But since the round is just starting, i wanted to post something. This is what I could write. I hope you like it, even if it's short ^^
> 
> First time writing this ship. They're interesting, and also Doyoung is winning me over... OTL

Across the table, on the other end, sits the same guy that Yuta has seen for a few weeks already. Most of the tables at the library are empty, but this guy always sits on this one. Yuta wants to claim it as his own, but he also likes looking up from his books and, from the corner of his eye, seeing this cute guy furrowing his eyebrows in deep thought.

Today, Yuta has a chatterbox sitting next to him, also known as Johnny, who tells him in a hushed voice all about the new pink color of his crush’s hair. Yuta nods along and drops in a comment or two about Johnny being whipped.

The guy on the other end lifts his head and meets Yuta’s eyes, frowning in disapproval. Subtly, Yuta shrugs, looks at Johnny then rolls his eyes all the way. The guy’s expression changes in an instant, but he covers his smile before Yuta gets to see it. Pity. Yuta has a feeling that it’s probably as pretty as his eyes.

 

A few days later, Yuta walks into the library to return a book and sees the black hair of the cute guy. He’s sitting on _their_ usual table. After thinking about it for two and a half seconds, Yuta heads to the table. He should be on his way to soccer practice now, but his hand is quick to find his phone and text Ten, telling him he’ll skip it. He places his books on the table, quietly, and sits down on the second chair, right next to his usual. The guy looks up startled by the sound of the chair and his wide eyes focus on Yuta, who gives him a nod, smiling, then opens the first book he has on the pile.

The guy lowers his head, but Yuta can feel him glancing at him every now and then.

 

Today, the guy has company. Next to him, there a mop of brown hair, but in front of him sits a guy with pink hair and big brown eyes. Yuta considers for a moment sitting closer and greeting them. Johnny’s dumb grateful smile would be nice to see, if Yuta were to talk to the pink haired guy.

But he decides not to. Instead, he plops down on his seat, the same as always. The first one to notice him is, luckily, his tablemate. Yuta smiles and greets him with a nod. The guy nods back and it calls the attention of the friend next to him. He turns towards Yuta, then looks back at the cute guy. Yuta can’t hear what he’s whispering, but he can see a dimple on his cheek, so he knows he’s smiling.

Pretending he’s not interested in whatever’s happening on the other end of the table, Yuta opens his laptop and turns it on, to start working on his essay. He notices that the guy’s friends are a lot quieter in comparison to Yuta’s friends.

But when he glances back to their side, he finds pink haired guy’s eyes on him. He’s smiling at Yuta, who lifts his hand and puts it back down on the table, then replies with a smile of his own. He looks back at his laptop. He hears their hushed voices and sees a movement from the corner of his eye. A paper ball falls on the chair next to the pink haired guy, who looks smugly at Yuta’s tablemate.

Yuta’s tablemate is glaring at his friend, but his ears look adorably red in embarrassment. Yuta can’t stop himself from staring at him. When the guy notices him, his strong look falters, after having been caught. His eyes get impossibly wider. It’s fascinating how open and expressive he can be. 

Yuta doesn’t realize they’ve been staring at each other for too long until he hears the other guys muffling their laughter. It’s so embarrassing Yuta thinks he should leave. But the brunet says that he has somewhere to go and that Taeyong should go with him. Then, he raises his voice a little to tell Dongyoung he should stay and keep on studying. Yuta has no idea who is who, but when he sees him leaving with the guy with pink hair, he can easily guess which name was the most important one.

Yuta’s tablemate, or Dongyoung, as Yuta now knows, stays on his seat, looking down at his book. Red takes over his ears and cheeks, and Yuta can see him biting his lip nervously.

They say nothing to each other. Soon, they fall into the usual, comfortable pattern of sitting on the same table and stealing glances at each other.

 

Some days, Yuta wonders how Dongyoung would react if Yuta started talking to him out of nowhere. It’s how he’s made most of his friends. Yuta holds the hope that one day he’ll run into Dongyoung outside of the library, but it never happens. It’s as if Yuta were a tangent line and the library, the only point of contact between Yuta and Dongyoung.

Yuta has been studying too much math. 

 

When Yuta arrives to the table, Dongyoung is sitting on the second chair from his side. There are five chairs on each side. Yuta looks at the one on the other end, his usual one. He walks up to it, drops his messenger bag and sits down on the second one.

Maybe one day, Yuta dreams, they’ll both sit on the chair in the middle and stare straight at each other.

But for now, glancing at Dongyoung and seeing him biting his cheek, trying to hide a pleased smile, is enough for Yuta. More than enough.

 

It rains hard outside. The darkness of the sky cannot enter the library, as all the lights are on. There are many students seeking refuge from the rainstorm inside the library. It worries Yuta that _their_ table might be occupied. He rushes to it.

To his surprise, there’s only one person sitting there, and he’s sitting right in the middle of the table. Yuta can see recognize Dongyoung’s back, the way he hunches over the table, and the currently wet black hair.

Yuta walks over to it. He stands behind the chair opposite Dongyoung. He clears his throat, making the guy lift his head.

“Is this seat taken?”

Dongyoung shakes his head. “It’s all yours.” 

He gestures to the chair, while Yuta places his things on the table. Then, when Yuta is about to sit,

“On one condition…”

Yuta’s hand grips the backrest of the chair tightly, awaiting, expecting.

“You tell me your name.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/caterplina) ^_^


End file.
